Educational consultant Dr. Christy Keeler lauds PowerPoint-based virtual museums for their ability to showcase learning and engage the visual part of the mind. Applying the latest research and techniques from the world of education in your professional presentations gives you an advantage over the competition. When you present in ways that people learn best from, they will retain more of your message and be more open to your ideas. Whether it's marketing, pitching a new idea or training new employees, a small increase in retention and comprehension can pay big dividends in the end.

1. Launch PowerPoint, if you haven't already, and click on the "Home" tab. Click the arrow under New Slide and choose "Blank."

2. Click the "Insert" tab, click "Shapes," and choose "Trapezoid" from the Basic Shapes section. Click and drag on the slide to draw a trapezoid. This will be one of the walls of the museum. As such, it should be about 3 inches tall, or half the height of the slide.

3. Double-click the trapezoid so that the Format tab under Drawing Tools is highlighted. Click "Rotate" in the Arrange section on the right of the ribbon. Choose "Rotate Right 90 degrees."

4. Click the "Align" button in the Arrange section. Choose "Align Left." Click it again and choose "Align Middle."

5. Click on the trapezoid, hold "Ctrl-Shift" and drag to the right side of the slide until you see a dotted vertical line on the right. Release the mouse button and then the keyboard buttons. A copy of the trapezoid is on the right side of the slide now.

6. Click "Rotate" and choose "Flip Horizontal."

7. Click on the "Insert" tab, click "Shapes," and choose "Rectangle." Click and drag from the top right corner of the trapezoid on the left to the bottom left corner of the trapezoid on the right. This forms the back wall of your museum.

8. Insert another rectangle. Click and drag to draw it from the top left corner of the slide to the middle on the far right side of the slide. This gives you a rectangle that covers the entire width of the slide and half the height.

9. Right-click on the rectangle and choose "Send to Back." This forms the ceiling.

10. Click and drag the ceiling rectangle while holding "Ctrl-Shift." When you get to the bottom of the slide, release the mouse button and then the keys. You now have a floor. Send it to the back as you did with the ceiling.

11. Click the right wall, hold "Shift," click the back wall and then the left wall. With all the walls selected, right-click, point to "Group" and select "Group."

12. Click the "Format" tab, click "Shape Fill" from the Shape Styles section, point to "Gradient," and select "From Center." The walls will show a gradient from the back wall out. Either the light or dark gradient options will work.

13. Click the floor, click "Shape Fill," point to "Texture," and choose a wood texture. Repeat for the ceiling and choose a texture such as Newsprint or Recycled Paper.

14. Right-click the walls, point to "Group," and choose "Ungroup." Click the ceiling so the walls aren't selected anymore. Click the right wall to select only it.

15. Press "Ctrl-C" to copy the right wall and then "Ctrl-V" to paste it. Click and drag to line it up with the original. Vertical and horizontal dotted lines appear when you are lined up.

16. Click the lower right handle on the copied trapezoid, hold "Ctrl-Shift" and drag toward the center of the trapezoid. When the shape is the size of the picture you want on that wall, release the mouse and then the keys.

17. Right-click on the picture shape, choose "Format Shape," select the "Fill" section from the list on the left, and click "Picture or Texture Fill." Click "File," browse to the picture you want to use, and double-click on it. Uncheck "Rotate with Shape" at the bottom of the dialog box, and click "OK."

18. Repeat the process to add pictures to the other two walls.

Tips

Insert a hyperlink into the pictures that leads to a slide with a larger version of the picture.

Use another hyperlink to link back to the museum room from the detail slide.

Use the Box Transition to move from one museum room to another as if you're walking through the museum.

About the Author

James T Wood is a teacher, blogger and author. Since 2009 he has published two books and numerous articles, both online and in print. His work experience has spanned the computer world, from sales and support to training and repair. He is also an accomplished public speaker and PowerPoint presenter.